Folding box



Dec. 13, 1949 Q E BUTCHER 2,490,779

FOLDING BOX 1 Filed June 2, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 13, 1949 c. E.suTcHEl FOLDING BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 2, 1 947 64% f /35% W Wrrz 6%".

Patented Dec. 13, 1949 FOLDING-BOX "Charles E; Butcher, Rochester, .N.Y., assignor to Transparent Boxes, Inc; Rochester, 'N.""Y.,"acorporation of New York Application June 2, 1947', SeriaLNo. 75.1;867

3 Claims.

This invention relates to afolding container which is more particularlyintended for packaging choice merchandise such asfiowers, elegantarticles of dress, jewelry and fancy goods, while the. same are ondisplay or for sale and also for presentation on special occasions whenan artistic enclosure for the gift or the like is desirable.

Heretofore. such articles, have usually been wrapped in paper orenclosed in boxes of ornamental paper which concealed the articles fromview and protected them against possible soiling by handling, and thesame were also displayed in transparent show cases to protect them fromdust.

These means of displaying and packing goods of this character areunsatisfactory in that the goods usually cannot be displayed to the bestadvantage and they are also liable to suffer when rehandled whilepackaging the same ready for presentation or delivery.

'It is the object of this invention to provide a foldable containerwhich can be compactly stored and shipped in a knock-downcondition andreadily erected into the form of an enclosure in which the respectivemerchandise may be displayed without liability of becoming soiled orinjured by handling and in which the same can be delivered to therecipient without further wrapping, and to provide such containers atcomparatively low cost.

. In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view "Of a "folding box or container embodying asatisfactory form of my invention.

i Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same in its erectedfor-m.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of the same.

. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of body and associated parts of thecontainer-made in accordance with this invention 'showing'the-samespread out in flattened condition suitable for compact storage :ortransportation.

Fig. 5' is a similar view of the cover forming part of the container.

Fig. 6 is a similar view, on a reduced scale, of the cover showing thesame bent into UTshape or how form, preparatory to-being assembledwiththe body of the container.

Figs; '7,- 8 and 9 are fragmentary sectional views on an enlarged scaleof the joints, respectively, between the-transverse edges of the bottomand the end walls, thelongitudinal edges of the bot-Y 2 tom and thecover and the ends, of the cover with the end walls.

In the following description like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings:

Inits general construction this ioldable container or foldingboxcomprises a body, a cover, and tying means for holding the body andcover in an assembled .position relative to each other.

Although the bodymay be constructed of any suitable material it ispreferable to use for this purpose cardboard. or like sheet materialwhich is vout so as to form a rectangularbottom "I which is arrangedhorizontally when in use and two vertical walls III which are arrangedtransversely at opposite transverse end edges of the bottom. These endwalls are preferably made integrally with (the bottom from a singleblankof sheet material and'the same are bent .orturned upwardly from aposition in which they are c'oplanar withthe bottom into a position inwhich they project upwardly from the bottom and at right. anglesthereto. To facilitate such bending or turning of theend walls relativeto the bottom the, blanknoi sheet material of which the same areconstructed is provided on its outer side with transverse scores,partial or cuts 12, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

Each of the end walls has a horizontal lower edge 13, two vertical sideedges l4 extending-upwardly from the opposite ends of the lower edge,and an upwardlycurved or rounded upper edge I 5 which connectsthe-upperends of'said vertical edges, as shown inFigs. 1, 3 and 4.

At its opposite "longitudinal edges the bottom is provided with .twoinwardly opening longitudinal grooves 9 which form .part of thefastening meansfor detachably connecting the cover to the body. ,Each ofthese grooves includes an pper retainingstripl 6 arranged lengthwiseover one of the longitudinal side edge portions ofthe bottom and ispreferably formed integrally with the bottom andfbent or turned upwardlyfrom the bottom andinwardly over the upper side of the l'atter,'th'isbending. being facilitated by ,providing the blank sheet material fromwhich the bottom andgroove strips are formed with longitudinal scoringon the outer side of the corner between the bottom and these strips, asshown at 17in Fi s. 1, 3 and 4.

,Eachofthe retaining strips is held in its folded position relative tothe body by fastening means consisting preferably .of wire staples l8 orstitching connecting the outec-part of the respective retaining stripwith the corresponding outer part of the longitudinal edge portion ofthe body. The inner part of each retaining strip is not connected withthe body and is spaced therefrom so as to form an inwardly openinggroove between the underside of the inner part of the retaining stripand the upper side of the adjacent or corresponding opposing part of thebottom, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 8.

The cover of the container is preferably constructed from a single sheetof flexible transparent material, such as cellulose acetate or otherplastic, which is bent into bow form to provide two upright longitudinalside walls l9 and a transversely curved or rounded top 20 which connectsthe upper edges of said side walls, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 6.

Each of the side walls is provided at its lower edge with a horizontallongitudinal coupling flange 22 which in the erected position of theparts of the container, projects outwardly into engagement with one ofthe longitudinal grooves 9 at the corresponding longitudinal edge of thebottom and forms a detachable connection therewith.

In its bent form the transverse shape or form of the cover correspondsat its opposite ends to the shapes of the top and side edges of the endwalls of the body and in the erected position of these members these endwalls fit into the opposite ends of the bow shaped cover and form therespective closure parts of the container.

Means are provided whereby the end walls of the body are retained in anupright position within the cover after these parts have been erectedwhich means preferably consist of locking beads or rims 2! which arearranged on the inner side of the cover along the vertical side andcurved top parts thereof at opposite ends of the cover. These ribs areof such thickness and arrangement that when the end walls of the bodyare pressed into the opposite end parts of the cover, the side and topedge parts of the body end walls will be sprung past these ribs from theouter to the inner sides of the same so that when these end walls reachtheir upright position the resilience of these end walls and that of thecover will retain the vertical and top edges of these end walls inengagement with the inner side of these ribs and thus maintain this partin an erected position.

In addition to the locking ribs the end walls of the body are furtherretained in their closed position by tying means which also serve as anornament of the container, which tying means preferably consist of tworibbons 23 normally arranged lengthwise over the top of the cover andhaving their outer ends connected by stitches 24 or otherwise to theouter side of the upper parts of the body end walls while the opposinginner ends of these ribbons are tied together in the form of a knot orbow 25, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

While the bodies and covers of the containers or boxes are in a spreadout or flattened condition, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, they may bestacked compactly in piles and thus there is a considerable economy instoring and shipping the same.

In the operation of erecting the container the cover is first bent fromthe flat form shown in Fig. 5 into the inverted U-form, indicated inFig. 6. The cover is placed over the bottom of the body section and theretaining flanges 22 are engaged with the grooves 9 between theretaining strips and the longitudinal edge portions of the body, inwhich position the parts are maintained by the resilience of the cover.Thereafter the articles to be packaged are introduced into the spacebetween the bottom and the cover through the opening at either end ofthe latter and then the end walls are turned upwardly into a position inwhich the same close the opposite ends of the openings between thebottom and the cover. The packaging operation is completed by tyingtogether the ribbons above the cover.

The procedure of enclosing an article within this container may beeffected expeditiously and economically and. without involving unduecost.

Moreover the article when thus enclosed may be freely inspected when ondisplay without liability of the article being soiled or disarranged.

In addition to protecting the article which has been packaged by meansof this container, the assemblage as a whole presents a very neat andattractive appearance and tends to promote sales of goods.

I claim as my invention:

1. A folding container comprising a body and a cover, said bodyincluding a horizontal bottom which is provided on its oppositelongitudinal edges with inwardly opening grooves and upright end wallsprojecting upwardly from the opposite transverse edges of the bottom andformed integrally therewith and adapted to turn vertically relativethereto into and out of a closed position, and said cover being oftransversely bowed form and having its longitudinal edges provided,respectively, with outwardly projecting flanges which engage with saidgrooves of the bottom and said cover being also provided at the top andsides of its opposite transverse edges with integral ribs whichinterlock with the top and sides of the transverse edges of said endwalls.

2. A folding container comprising a body and a cover, said bodyincluding a horizontal rectangular bottom provided at its opposite endedges with upwardly extending transverse walls and inwardly openinggrooves at its opposite longitudinal side edges, each of said end wallsbeing formed integrally with said bottom and adapted to turn at itslower end relative thereto into and out of a closed position, each ofsaid grooves being formed between the respective side edge portion ofthe bottom and a strip formed integrally with the bottom and bentupwardly and inwardly from this side portion and said bottom side edgeportion along a scoring between said strip and bottom and said stripbeing held in spaced relation with said bottom by fastenings connectingthe outer parts of said strip and said bottom side edge portion and theinner part of said strip being disconnected from said bottom side edgeportion and thereby form one of said grooves, and said cover being oftransversely bowed form and providing a curved top, vertical sides andlaterally projecting flanges which project, respectively, into saidgrooves on the longitudinal edges of the bottom.

3. A folding container comprising a body and a cover, said bodyincluding a horizontal rectangular bottom provided at its opposite endedges with upwardly extending transverse walls and inwardly openinggrooves at its opposite longitudinal side edges, each of said end wallsbeing formed integrally with said bottom and adapted to turn at itslower end relative thereto into and out of a closed position, each ofsaid grooves being formed between the upper side of the respectivelongitudinal edge portion of the bottom and the underside of a stripspaced from the upper side of said bottom edge portion and having itsouter part stitched thereto but its inner part disconnected therefromand thereby form the respective CHARLES E. BUTCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Rollestone July 28, 1908 ScrubyAug. 15, 1922 Hout July 14, 1925 Young June 14, 1938 Pilliod et a1 Oct.4, 1938 Young June 15, 1943

